Livestock Management
Medicine Hat bureau This year’s national avian influenza outbreak has saved its worst impacts for the end of the year. In British Columbia’s Fraser Valley, the outbreak has more than doubled the number of commercial poultry birds culled in the province since the highly contagious variant of the virus hit in spring. More than 2.8 […] Read more
Livestock Management
U.S. maintains pressure on Canadian dairy policies
Winnipeg bureau The United States has asked the Canadian government, again, for formal consultations over Canada’s policies on dairy imports. That could lead to a second dispute resolution panel, under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. If that process leads to a favourable ruling for the U.S. and Canada doesn’t comply with its USMCA obligations, the American dairy […] Read more
Strings attached
Farm researchers and other innovators are adjusting to a new reality of federal funding being tied to greenhouse gas reductions. To get full funding, or maybe any at all, some agricultural industries need to be investigating GHG reduction or they won’t get full federal science dollars for approved projects. Researchers won’t be able to get […] Read more
Sustainability projects need more private investors
Canada has an enriching opportunity to become one of the winners of the global race to develop sustainable agriculture, says The Next Green Revolution report. But that opportunity is unlikely to be seized if Canada doesn’t invest a lot more money in agricultural sustainability research and development. “Canada’s heft in global agricultural markets, its longstanding […] Read more
The greener side of concrete
Roller compacted concrete is becoming a key tool for maintaining a sustainable cattle feeding sector in Alberta. Ten to 20 percent of Alberta’s feedlot industry has installed RCC, a material with the same ingredients as conventional concrete but applied as a drier mix without need for forms or finishing and compacted with rollers. Feedlot owners […] Read more
One third of the world’s carbon tamed by grass
Grasslands might not capture the imagination of the public like the Rocky Mountains, the lakes of Manitoba or the rugged terrain of the Canadian Shield but efforts are underway to acknowledge the native prairie’s role in preventing climate change. “Climate change is happening and that’s because of carbon in the atmosphere,” said Cameron Carlyle, associate […] Read more
Agribition impresses first-time visitors
International visitors return to the annual event after pandemic travel restrictions eased, and they like what they found
The international presence at Canadian Western Agribition is returning to pre-pandemic levels. After only about 100 visitors from 20 countries visited in 2021 due to travel restrictions, the 2022 show saw 1,200 guests from 63 countries. Jeremy Walsh from Dubbo, New South Wales, Australia, was a first-time visitor who said the show exceeded all his […] Read more
Scottish producer eyes Alberta herd
REGINA — William McLaren enjoys the commercial nature of the Canadian purebreds. “At home, people breed for a different-looking animal; these genetics here are aimed at the commercial herd,” he said. “In their Continental homeland the breeds look very different than they do here. And this show here in Regina (Canadian Western Agribition) is one […] Read more
Methane studied in Japanese breed
Methane produced in the rumen of cattle during digestion is a potent greenhouse gas. Japan’s agricultural industry produced 29.3 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in 2020, accounting for 2.8 percent of the country’s total emissions. A quarter of that came from enteric fermentation within livestock. For years, researchers have been exploring feed additives and […] Read more
Vaccine shortage may require creative scours prevention
I’ve recently heard rumours that there may be a shortage of scours vaccines this year. While I’m not sure if the shortage will be significant, you might want to check with your local veterinary practice to find out if they are going to be able to stock scours vaccines for cows for the upcoming calving […] Read more
